The eminent artist Oleg Tselkov (b. 1934) studied theatre arts in Leningrad in the 1950s, and moved in the same circles as Lev Loseff and his literary friends at that time; they were involved in several well-documented escapades. Tselkov moved to Moscow in 1958, and then to Paris in 1977.

(Translator’s note: I would like to thank Mikhail Efimov for advice concerning this translation.)